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Momodou
Denmark
11681 Posts |
 Posted - 27 Jul 2006 : 16:04:58
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HALIFA HARPS ON ACCOUNTABILITY
By Abdoulie Dibba
The Minority Leader of the National Assembly Hon. Halifa Sallah indicated that development must speak the “language of priority”. Hon Sallah made these remarks at the National Assembly. Hon Sallah indicated that it is important for NAMs to look at the problems that are related to public expenditure.
He indicated that people are complaining that their groundnuts are not bought, and if one asks the Executive, they would reply that it is not Government’s responsibility to purchase groundnut. Halifa however noted that it is the Government that guaranteed Companies to buy groundnuts from public monies. Sallah pointed out that the executive has taken D345 million from the Social Security and Housing Finance Corporation and invested it on a hotel. He asserted that they were told by the Secretary of State for Finance and the Secretary of State for Agriculture that Government has been giving guarantee to companies to be able to purchase groundnuts. He pointed out that if one looks at the budget estimates of 2006, one would discover under settlement of confirmed debt, an amount of D15 million in 2005 and D10 million as debt for vehicle and D11 million as Trust Bank guarantee. Halifa challenged his colleagues to continue to find out which companies are being guaranteed and who authorize the expenditure on vehicle. “You go and take a debt to get a vehicle.” “Who authorized these expenditures”? “We need to find out since we are allocating public resources for these”. Regarding Assets Management and Recovery Corporation (AMRC), Hon Sallah indicated that it is generating a lot of wealth from the sale of land, lands which some people would tell you D25,000 and others would say D125,000. He said at the end one won’t know what is the actual cost of a particular land “where is all this money going? Where is it being strategically invested? Is it not addressing the needs and aspirations of a people? Is it not identifying priority? Development must speak the language of priority? Is the income of our farmers our priority? If it is our priority, then where should we put the money? “Hon Sallah asked. Halifa further stressed, “my view is that we have not set our national priorities right and that is why we cannot pay the income of our farmers.”
Source: Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issue
Issue No. 57/2006, 26- 27 July, 2006
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